Hilton bounces Michaelhouse from Schools SA20
Hilton College got one over their great rivals, Michaelhouse, in the semi-finals of Tuskers’ Schools SA20 on Friday. In a tight contest, Hilton claimed a four-wicket win with four balls to spare.
Batting first, away from home, after winning the toss, ‘House tallied 143/4, led by their in-form opener, Graydon Leslie, who followed up his top-scoring effort against Northwood last weekend with the top score again for the Balgowan boys.
After losing his opening partner, Henry Love, to the first ball of the innings, Leslie was joined by Ben Heuer, and they added 38 in 32 balls before Heuer was bowled by Jayden Roux for 22 from 41 deliveries. He had struck four fours.
James Mallett and Leslie, then, combined for a 78-run partnership from 68 balls before Leslie’s knock was brought to an end by Sechaba Gude, who bowled the opening batsman for 52 from 39 deliveries, which had featured six fours.
Mallett went on to finish with an unbeaten 44 from 48, with only one four, while Ethan Muir chipped in with 10, and Rex Wardlaw managed an unbeaten three from the only ball he faced.
Gude and Roux were the only Hilton bowlers to pick up wickets, but they dismissed two batsmen each, with Gude bagging 2/26 in four, and Roux claiming 2/35 in his four. Luke Campbell bowled tidily to finish with figures of 0/15 from four.
Hilton’s reply began solidly enough. However, SA u19 Emerging batsman Ben Hockly was sent packing in the fourth over, caught by Wardlaw off the bowling of Heuer for 14 from 13, with the total on 24.
Alex Pitman and Robert Burman quickly took charge for Hilton, though, advancing their side’s total to 66 in the 10th over before Pitman lost his wicket, caught by Wardlaw off Liam O’Dwyer for 29 from 28, with four fours, after they had added 42 runs.
The very next ball, Jayden Roux was caught and bowled O’Dwyer, but Ben Erasmus negotiated the hat-trick ball as Hilton fought back. He and Burman added 28 from 31 deliveries before Erasmus was run out by Ethan Muir for 12.
Burman was doing most of the heavy lifting and he and Stewart Falconer added 32 from 17 before Falconer was trapped in front by Wardlaw for six.
Burman became the sixth man out, with the total on 134, caught by O’Dwyer off the bowling of Thandanani Zuma for a decisive 59 from 38 balls, two of which he struck for six, while five more went for four.
When he departed, 11 balls remained and Hilton required 10 to win. They needed others to step up and that got the response they needed. Simon Steyn and Luke Campbell saw the hosts home with four balls in hand.
Steyn crushed a six and a four in his unbeaten 15 from nine, while Campbell did his bit, chipping in with five from two to guide the home team to a hard-fought win, which also reversed the result of the most recent T20 meeting of the sides two weeks ago when Michaelhouse won by three runs.
Liam O’Dwyer led the ‘House bowlers, snaring 2/21 in four, while Rex Wardlaw took 1/29 in his four, and Thandanani Zuma 1/41 in four.
Hilton and Michaelhouse meet again on Saturday, 9 November, in the annual Pink Day match.
SCORES
Michaelhouse 143/4 (Graydon Leslie 52, James Mallett 44*, Ben Heuer 22, Sechaba Gude 2/26, Jayden Roux 2/35); Hilton College 147/6 (Robert Burman 59, Alex Pitman 29, Liam O’Dwyer 2/21, Ben Heuer 1/22).
Hilton College won by four wickets.
